Calvary Chapel Boca Del Rio
Boca del Rio is a tiny fishing village halfway down the coast of Sinaloa.
Planting a church here took us deep into the lives of the local fishermen. The Mexican fisherman is a strong, dominant male who makes money fast and ends up with an overabundance of leisure time, leading him into all kinds of vices: alcohol, drugs, prostitution, homosexuality. In this difficult environment, we aimed to bring the gospel of Christ into the homes and small fishing boats of these men.
At first, we couldn’t figure out how to build relationships with them. Few could read and none had gotten past the third grade. The Lord led us to buy a fishing boat, and the men started teaching us to drive the boat, make nets, and fish. As we learned to live their life, relationships began to grow. God was faithful, and He brought men into the church one at a time.
Running a School of Ministry in the midst of such a small community took its toll on the church. The young Christians who came to the school struggled and sinned in the process of maturing, and many locals pointed at their failures as reasons not to believe in the gospel being preached.
When we cried out to God, asking why we faced so many difficulties, He gave us Proverbs 14:4 – “Where no oxen are, the trough is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” Some students were not even Christians when they arrived at the school, and many failed immensely in the process of growth. If we hadn’t been bringing in students to raise up as leaders, no one would have failed. But raising up leaders is what we were called to do.
The church has paid a large price to serve these emerging leaders. But these uneducated fishermen and their wives will have a great reward in heaven for their faithful prayers and dedicated perseverance. In their crowns will be the gems of graduated students serving their King throughout the country and all over the world.